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As we hurried down the hall, away from the light, I couldn’t get anyone to talk to me. “What’s going on? Aren’t we going the wrong way? What about the Fiery Sanctum?”

Sadi's perspective

Indira fell to the back of the group, waving her arms to make the others move faster. Sadi stayed behind, as always.
“Dragon. Probably a big one and I don’t think we have the strength to take it on.”
My mouth fell open in surprise. “A dragon? Like, a real live one. One that breathes fire?”
Acgar was beside us. “Well, actually Buzz, in this case, yes. I’m pretty sure that a red dragon lives there and they do breathe fire.”

“I don’t get it. We talk about everything. Why aren’t you telling everyone?”
Indira waved her hand. “We’ve lost valuable time going up the hall and strategizing about how to cross the lava. I want to make up time now. We can tell them at dinner.”

We rounded a corner and ran smack into Durilin. “Hey! Watch it. Gee.” I smoothed my tabard.
She held her finger to her lips. “By <Grungni’s> braided beard. Something new!”

Inspection

I looked over her and saw a huge elevator. Sadi flowed past us, drawing her bow as she moved.
We could see Myntilly standing near the elevator. Ian and Brus came up behind. Myntilly quietly peeked around and then climbed on the side of the car.

She turned, caught Indira’s questioning look, and shrugged. “Nothing.”
Indira walked into the open. “It is an elevator, right?” She called to Myntilly.
“Looks pretty banged up. Like, um a freight elevator.”

Durilin nudged the gate with her axe. “We could get in. You know, see where it goes.”
“Um, I’m guessing up.” Durilin turned and glared at me.

Going up

“I’m heading topside.” Sadi swung herself up and through the trapdoor in the ceiling.
“Careful!” Myntilly called up. “Watch for head room. You don’t know how close to the top of the shaft we’ll be.”
“I want to be on record as saying this is a bad idea.”
I turned to Indira. “Are you afraid of small spaces? That’s so cute!”
She glared at me. “No. I’m just wondering why we’re going up when the destination is down here…. Probably.”

Durilin flipped the switch and the elevator hummed to life. When it clanged to a stop, we were facing a warehouse. Sadi dropped down. “I don’t see anything. Looks clear.”
“Do we explore the warehouse or not?” Indira can be so goal-oriented sometimes.
“Well, Sadi doesn’t see anything. Thank god we left Theresa mapping the back area of the dungeon, otherwise she’d be out there in a flash, opening crates and looting….” I shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“Myntilly? What do you say?” Indira turned to look at her friend.
“Yeah, let’s head back down. No visible baddies up here. And it feels like we’re level with Cauldron’s city streets. Definitely not where we’re supposed to be.”

As the gates clanged open back down in the dungeon, Ian said, “Hey. I didn’t notice these railroad tracks before. And little cars. We could use these to travel down the tunnel.”